38 -— Wednesday, December 9, 1992 ~ North Shore News

NEWS photo Mike Weketield

A FORMER apprentice of felicw Maida artist, Bili Reid, Robert Davidson's work has evolved to a
degree every bit as refined and distinctive as that of his mentor.

In the tradition

Robert Davidson at the Gallery of Tribal Art

“*&, Voice From The Inside,’’
Robert Davidson at the Gallery
of Tribal Art, 2329 Granville
St., Vancouver. Nov. 19 to
Dec. 12, 1992.

Ron Falcioni
ART REVIEW

ITH ALL the art
and artists that
-W > appear and vanish

with clockwork regularity
from the Vancouver art
scene, it s reassuring to
know that the one
manifestation of West Coast
art that has shown the
greatest perseverance is also
clearly one of the finest and
most distinctive ever to have
appeared, not just here but
worldwide.

The reference is, of course, to
Northwest Coast Indian Art.

Until three decades ago the
knowledge and appreciation of the
unique art engendered by the
sophisticated but long-suppressed
culture of the Northwest Coast In-
dian was, for the most part, the
exclusive domain of archeologists
and art historians.

After several generations under
the tyranny of white culture, that
art had largely fallen into disuse.

Amidst the vestiges of its own
greatness, Northwest Coast Indian
art, the very essence of whose
culture was contained in it, had
languished through abject neglect.

What brought Indian art to the
public prominence it now enjoys
as a growing recognition of the
importance of native art in general
and the utilization of the serigraph
or silkscreen print in particular as a
means of proliferating the North-
west Coast Indian design esthetic.

in advance of a major retrospec-
tive to be mounted by the Van-
couver Art Gallery in the summer
of 1993, the current exhibit of .
kobert Davidson’s work, A Voice

From The Inside, at the Gallery of
es -

Tribal Art until Dec. 12, provi
abundant confirmation of the stat-
ure this fing artist has achieved
over the past two decades.

» Amber “Bookshop
’ 2460A Marine Drive

(Downstairs) West Vancouver

A former apprentice of ‘ellow
Haida artist, Bill Reid, Robert
Davidsan’s work has evolved to a
degree every bit as refined and
distinctive as that of his mentor.

The concise survey of David-
son’s early serigraphs included in
this show indicates that the
craftsmanship and sure sense of
tine and form that now typify his
work have been evident from the
beginning.

Although it is his inventiveness
as a painter and printmaker that is
most conspicuous here, numerous
sculptural works attest to David-
son's prowess as a Carver.

Immediately upon entering the
gallery, the cbserver is confronted
by a massive raw cedar totem
pole.

Neaz it sits a squat 36-inch
bronze frog, a duplicate ot that
commissioned by Pepsico for its
sculpture garden in New York.

Though more highly mannered
thai the naturalist'caiiy carved
frog of Bill Reid on display at the
Vancouver Art Gallery, it is no tess
impressive.

itis also interesting to compare,
side by side, a bronze sculpture,
The Happy Blowhole, with the
original yellow cedar carving from

See Current page 42

926-1133

Dancer performing in Nat’i
Ballet Nutcracker production

FORMER NORTH Shore dancer
Chan Hon Goh will perform the
role of the Snow Queen/Sugar
Plum Fairy on opening night of the
National Ballet) Company's The
Nutcracker production.

Goh, who danced with the Goh
Ballet, appears on stage at On-
tario’s O'Keefe Centre with Jeremy

Ransom as the prince. It is the first
opening night performance of The
Nutcracker for both dancers.

This year The Nutcracker is
celebrating its 100th anniversary, It
was first periormed at the Maryin-
sky Theatre in St. Petersbury on
Dec. 6, 1892.

Anchar-In

Come

ay)

RESTAURANT

and Join
Us

Celebrate the Christmas

Holiday.

3 COURSE (German Style)
ROAST DUCK DINNER

Regular menu also available

HOLIDAY ROURS:

Dec. 24 - 11:30 a.m-9:00 p.m. /Dec. 28 - 4:00 pm.-9:00 p.m.
Dec. 26 - 10:00 a.m.-10:00 pm./Dec. 27 - 10:00 a.m.-3:09 p.m.

Reservations Recommended

$80-9508

1301 Lonsdale Ave., N. Vancouver
UNDERGROUND PARKING AVAILABLE

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